The poster for the ill-fated Stop! festival of Azerbaijani film in Yerevan . (Photo courtesy CCPMI.)

An attempt to screen Azerbaijani short films in the Armenian capital of Yerevan has failed, blocked in large part by a blitz of opposition spread by social networking websites. But the organizers say they are undaunted and will try to go ahead with the film festival at a later date.

The festival, organized by the Caucasus Center of Peace-Making Initiatives, a local non-governmental organization that promotes conflict resolution, had been scheduled for November 12, following nearly a year-long search to find a venue willing to host the program. The festival, called “Stop!” in reference to its attempt to stop ethnic intolerance, also failed to open last year.

Gevorg Vanian, the director of the Caucasus Center of Peace-Making Initiatives and the festival’s initiator, blamed a last-minute refusal from the festival’s venue to stage the screenings for the cancellation, but added that “everything is much more deeply-rooted and complicated” than the venue snafu. At the same time, he tried to remain upbeat, exuding a show-will-go-on spirit.